Strategic Plan for Nutrition 2011-2015.

The Strategic Plan for Nutrition (SPN) is an inter-sectoral instrument with a national coverage, relating to the period 2011-2015, whose vision is a healthy and productive Namibian nation with improved quality of life for all. The overall objective is to improve the nutritional status of the Namibian population, with special emphasis on children, women and people living with HIV and TB, resulting in the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to or associated with malnutrition. With a view to contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (particularly those concerning nutrition), this document serves as a master plan toward achieving Namibia’s Vision 2030 in health-related concerns. The document was elaborated pursuant to Namibia’s Vision 2030, where one of the objectives is to ensure a healthy, food-secured and breastfeeding nation, in which all preventable, infectious and parasitic diseases are under secure control, and in which people enjoy a high standard of living, with access to quality education, health and other vital services, in an atmosphere of sustainable population growth and development. As mentioned, the plan is based upon the Millennium Development Goals addressing nutrition: Goal 1 - Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Goal 4 - Reduce child mortality; Goal 5 - Improve maternal health; Goal 6 - Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
The plan aims to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The following strategic priorities are set out: 1) maternal and child nutrition; 2) micronutrient deficiencies; 3) diet-related diseases and lifestyles; 4) nutritional management of communicable diseases. Implementing initiatives for each identified strategic priority are detailed in Chapter 8.
The SPN provides a framework for interventions and activities at national, regional, district and community level, with considerable collaboration from multilateral and bilateral development agencies, other line ministries, civil society organisations and private institutions.